ABSTRACT
Structure means collocation and arrangement of components from the whole, which was applied in natural science research in the early days. In the field of economics, the phrase “industrial structure” appeared during the 1940s. When it was used to explain the economic problems at that time, the meaning was not exactly clear. It describes the relationship in a certain industry and the relationship among industries. It also means the relationship among enterprises of industries and regional distribution of industries. With the development of research in industrial economy, the meaning and research fields were identified. Industrial structure theory gradually formed a system and the phrase, “industrial structure,” was distinguished from industrial organization and industrial distribution.
